Gladys Cecilia (Ray) Davis was the wife of Laban Davis, brother of my great-grandfather Percy. Gladys was 21 years old when she died in childbirth at Mercy Hospital in Dubuque, Dubuque Co, Iowa. Her baby girl died a few days later. The baby was not named. Mother and baby are buried together at Scales Mound Township Cemetery in Scales Mound, Jo Daviess Co, Illinois.
Her obituary was published in The Telegraph Herald (Dubuque, IA) on Wednesday, Oct 24, 1917. Obituary incorrectly states she died on October 23. She died on Oct 24.
Transcription of … [Read more...]

Margaret Jane (Hicks) Davis was my great-great grandmother, and the wife of John B. Davis. Her parents were Henry Hicks and Hester Ingram.
Margaret was born on June 17, 1843 in Guilford Twp, Jo Daviess Co, Illinois. She died June 14, 1915 in Council Hill, Jo Daviess Co, Illinois.
Margaret and John had six children: Estella, Alvin, Laban, John, Lovella, and Percival.
The announcement of her death appeared in the Galena paper on Tuesday evening, June 15, 1915.
Transcription of Death Announcement:
Council Hill Lady Dead
Mrs. J.B. Davis Dies at … [Read more...]

Laban Davis was an older brother of my great-grandfather Percy Davis. Laban was born October 12, 1873, in Council Hill, Jo Daviess Co, Illinois, to John B. and Margaret (Hicks) Davis. He was the third of six children.
On November 23, 1915, he married Gladys Cecelia Ray in Dubuque, Iowa. She was a mail-order bride.
Gladys died during childbirth on October 24, 1917, in Dubuque. The unnamed baby girl passed away a few days later. Gladys and baby are buried together in Citizen's Cemetery, also known as Scales Mound Township Cemetery.
Laban discovered his … [Read more...]

William Passmore is not a direct ancestor of mine. His daughter Elizabeth Edna Passmore married James T. Davis, a nephew of my gg-grandfather John B. Davis. Passmore was the coroner for the suicide of William Davis, brother of James T. Davis. His ties to the Davis family are why I'm posting his biography published in Portrait and Biographical Album of Jo Daviess and Carroll Counties, Illinois (1889), p257.
William Passmore, his wives Elizabeth and Sarah, and children Anna Marie, Salina, and John Yonatt are buried in Council Hill Cemetery. Unfortunately, I was … [Read more...]

John Thomas Davis was the brother of my great-grandfather, Percy Davis. He was born in Council Hill, Illinois, on March 8, 1878. Both my mom and grandma thought it odd that no one ever talked about him. His death was very mysterious. I haven't been able to find any articles but this one about his death. Originally my mom thought that the Watertown mentioned in his obituary referred to Watertown, Wisconsin. We couldn't figure out what he was doing there, but it made sense.
However, when the information on his death certificate became available on Ancestry.com, … [Read more...]

John B. Davis was my great-great grandfather. He was born in Cornwall, England, and immigrated to the United States about 1850. On April 7, 1913, he committed suicide by hanging himself under the floor of his barn. One newspaper stated it was his despondency over ill health that drove him to this drastic action; another newspaper said he had a cold. Family lore says he was not happy over sons' drinking. Whatever the reason, he hung himself in the oddest place and it does not read as a quick death.
Here is the inquest determination/obituary for John B. Davis, … [Read more...]

Below is an obituary for Carrie (Deininger) Stienstra, daughter of John and Rosa (Berger) Deininger. Edward Deininger was her half-brother. The obituary was published in the Freeport Journal-Standard, Friday, 15 May 1964, page 6.
Transcript of obituary:
Mrs. Carrie Stienstra
GALENA - Mrs. Cornelius (Carrie) Steinstra died Thursday afternoon in the hospital here.
She was born Nov. 26, 1879, in East Galena Township, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Deininger. She was married March 29, 1910, to Cornelius Stienstra. Her husband died in 1946.
Survivors … [Read more...]

My g-g-grandfather, John B. Davis, committed suicide in 1913 by hanging himself in his barn. His suicide was something that wasn't discussed because it upset my grandfather. Until I read this article I didn't realize that 30 years earlier - in 1883 - that John, along with his son Alvin, cut down the body of his nephew, William Davis. William was suffering from a painful illness and hung himself. William's parents were John's brother Jacob and Jane (Moyle). (Making William my 1st cousin, 3x removed.)
I imagine that cutting down the body of his nephew would have … [Read more...]